Rub Some Dirt In It . . .

   "Rub some dirt in it and walk it off!"  When I was a lad that was the default encouragement one would hear whenever someone injured themselves while playing sports.  It was a way of saying STOP crying and get back in the game so we can win!  Not exactly sympathetic, huh?

   This past week the season of Lent opened up with the observance of Ash Wednesday.  Lent is the Holy Christian Church's way of saying "Rub some dirt in it." But the Church's motivation is not to win, but rather, to lose. 

• to lose our boasting before the Lord;
• to lose our love of sin;
• to lose our disillusionment of making ourselves right with God by our actions;
• to lose our alibis and excuses for our wrong actions, words and thoughts; and,
• to lose any fantasy about our mortality.

   "Rub some dirt in it" means that we are honest about who we are before the Lord.  It is a realization that standing with our spiritual resume before the Most High God is a harrowing ordeal.  It is a confession that we have come woefully short of His expectations and demands.  It is a stark reminder that death - both physical and eternal - are what we deserve for how we have misused the life our God has granted us.  It is listening, along with Adam, to the words of the curse: 

"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you shall return"  Genesis 3:19

   But there is more to the Christian's life than repentance and sorrow - there is HOPE!  We have hope because God sent His Son into this life of dust and dirt and sin in order to rescue us.  We have hope because Jesus lived a perfect life, suffered and died, and then rose from the dead on the third day!  Through faith we hear the curse revised into: Dust you are and to dust you shall return . . . until Jesus returns again and you are called once more out of the dust into eternal life!"  

   Lent is a time to reflect on our mortality and sin, even as we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!  Life got you down? Burdened by sin and sorrow?  Just plain tired of the world's garbage? Rub some dirt in it and rejoice - for Christ has overcome the world!

Surviving the Furnace

   This is week is one of my favorite Chapel times with our Preschoolers as we "live" the story of The Fiery Furnace.   (If you aren't familiar with the full story you can find it in Daniel 3)

   In the story three young Hebrews named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, are dealt with rather harshly by the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.  The king had a 90 foot statue of gold erected, and then commanded all of his government officials to bow down and worship.  Any who refused would be immediately cast into a fully fired-up furnace.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bend their knee to the statue saying . . . 

"our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace"

   In the face of the king's ensuing anger, these three stood strong and faithful. They never claimed that their God would deliver them unharmed from the fire - they merely said that He "is able" to deliver them. Their faith in the Lord was such that they trusted He would deliver them either from the fire or through the fire.  God would either walk them out of the fire unharmed OR would allow the fire to take their life and thereby release them from the evil of this world and bring them home to Himself.  In this case their refusal made the king so hot under the collar that he commanded the furnace to be stoked to 7 times its normal temperature! 

   As he peered into the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar noticed TWO curious things: 

1. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were walking around unharmed in the heart of the fire, and
2. There was now a FOURTH man walking with them who was like a "son of the gods"

   Nebuchadnezzar was moved to exclaim:

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!”

   Have you found the furnace to be running particularly hot in your life lately?  Has it seemed that the world is geared against you and that your days seem to be more heavily numbered among the bad than the good? Are you tempted to follow the ways of the world and abandon seeing the world from the Lord's point of view?  Hold on tight!  Never forget that Jesus, the Son of God, has already walked among us.  He has saved us by His life, death and resurrection and He will deliver us from evil . . . perhaps from the fire and perhaps through the fire.

Father, mighty and gracious Lord, hear the prayers of all Your people in distress.  Grant that the Holy Spirit to confirm them in their faith, strengthen their weary hearts, and sustain them through the hope of eternal life through Your Son Jesus Christ, in His name we pray. Amen.

To God be the glory!

Eager Longing

"We told Abi that you were coming and now she’s waiting for you”  That was the text and this is the picture I received from my daughter a couple of months ago.  Of course the photo and text melted my heart – this grandpa is gladly wrapped around the fingers of his grandchildren!  But the photo reminded me of myself when I was a child.

MY Grandmother lived in Nebraska which, to this California boy, seemed like a faraway land.  When I knew that grandma was coming to visit you could find me at the window eagerly looking for her!

This stance of eager anticipation is the posture of many children waiting for Christmas – not looking out the window, but peering at all of the gifts under the tree . . . or glued to the commercials about toys . . . or drawn to the displays at the department stores.   For the young among us, Christmas CANNOT get here fast enough!!

We who believe Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to die for our sins and rise for our eternal life, also believe the Father will send Him back at the divinely appointed time.   We join with the Church of all time and all places in praying “Come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:20

 

This simple prayer is a prayer of longing and a prayer of hope.  All of us are encouraged and empowered by the Spirit to pray this simple prayer . . . while looking out the window!   Why the anticipation?  Why the prayer?  Because all of us suffer pain to some degree – pain in the body and pain in the soul.  Paul tells us:  “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.” Romans 8:18-19   This is Paul‘s fancy way of describing the resurrection of the dead.

 

Christ will return and the dead will be raised imperishable.  Pain and sorrow and death will be defeated and we will be like Christ.  This is the hope we possess by virtue of our faith.  This is why we have such an eager longing for Jesus to return.   The Father and the Spirit speak to Jesus saying, “We told (insert your name here) that You were coming, and he’s/she’s waiting for You!” 

Come, Lord Jesus!

What 'Cha Lookin' At?

"The LORD sees not as man sees;  man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."  

1 Samuel 16:7b

   These words were spoken by the Lord to the prophet Samuel when he came to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse's sons as the new king of Israel.  Samuel - a mighty man of God and one whose faith was active since childhood - was looking on Jesse's eldest son Eliab and thought "surely the Lord's anointed is before Him." But the Lord said, "no."  So Samuel moved down the list of Jesse's boys . . . until no one was left.  Samuel then asks Jesse, "Are ALL your sons here?"  Nope, missing is the youngest who is out watching the sheep.  His name was David, and HE was the chosen of the Lord.

   The Lord is often unimpressed with the things with which we are impressed.  Readers of the Scriptures will often find the Creator of the Universe selecting, calling, anointing and siding with the underdogs of the world.  Esau was the firstborn, but his twin Jacob was the one chosen.  Hannah was childless, yet she would give birth to Samuel.  David would take down the giant with a stone.  A young virgin in an insignificant village would be the mother of the Christ. 

   Jesus Himself was rejected by His own people and put to death by the powers in command.  Yet the death of this wandering Rabbi was more than sufficient to pay for the sins, errors, and brokenness of all people.  To this day - and even to the Last Day - the Lord will be crying out to all to come to Him for life and restoration.  To those who believe in Him Jesus gives the power to be children of God.  Now THAT's impressive!

   So the next time the world (or the devil or your own self-view) declares you to be unimpressive and worthless you know how to reply:  "What 'cha lookin' at?  I may NOT be much in this world, but I have been redeemed by the Lord.  HE has looked at my heart - and though at its core it is rotten - He sees the faith He has created!  I am loved.  I am saved.  I am His."  

In Jesus' name - Amen

In Need of Consolation

   Growing up watching game shows on television I thought "consolation" meant "loser."  After all, it was the non-winners who were given "Consolation Prizes."  These prizes were usually just more products from the show's sponsors.  Such as, "So sorry you missed out on winning $25,000 - Johnny tell her what she did win."  "Beth, you'll receive a year's supply of Turtle Wax - the wax that puts a new car shine on your car!"  It's as if they wanted Beth to respond,  "WOW!  Turtle Wax?!  Glad I didn't win all that money!"

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel . . . Luke 2:25a  NIV

   Consolation is indeed for losers, for it is those suffering loss who need to be consoled.  I recently lost a very good friend who also happened to be the beloved mayor of our town.  The very day of his memorial service, grief was piled upon grief as news came in of a gunman killing 26 people - 20 children and 6 adults - at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.  Consolation was in great need and in seemingly short supply.  How was I, with my own broken heart, supposed to lead the consoling of a community - esp. with the news of the school massacre fresh on our hearts?  

   The Consolation of Israel - Jesus Christ - is the only One Who can heal the broken heart.  He consoles with His strong and gentle presence.   He consoles with His death to pay for sins and with His resurrection to destroy the power of death.  He consoles with the anticipation of His return and the end of all that is evil or wrong.  In the midst of things we cannot understand and pain we cannot overcome, we must seek refuge in the Lord.  May the Lord console the mourning and hurting hearts - wherever they may be found . . . .

Double Contemplation

   As we prepare for Christmas it's easy to lose sight of the meaning of this Holy day.  The quest for "Stuff" demands our undivided attention and the commitment of our wallets - to some you're considered an unpatriotic Scrooge if you refuse to amass Christmas debt. These days before Christmas are called Advent (which simply means "Coming").  I invite you to use Advent to re-focus Christmas onto Jesus Christ.  Two colors mark the season of Advent and answer the key question of Christmas:

WHY did the Son of God have to be born?

   Jesus was born because this world is broken.  This sad fact is reflected through the penitential color of PURPLE.  We are broken people gathered together into broken families.  The whole of our life is seeking meaning in the midst of this craziness and establishing order amid the chaos around us.  Advent is a time to repent.  It is a time to acknowledge that Christ came into this world in order to save and rescue us from our own destruction.  It's easy for me to point to others as the reason the Son of God left His throne to be wrapped in humble swaddling clothes . . . it's healthier when I confess that MY sin contributed to His humiliation.  WHY did the Son of God have to be born?  In order to save the world!

   After accomplishing the work He was sent to accomplish (i.e., living perfectly in the place of imperfect people / dying for those destined for death / rising again in order to restore life to the world), Jesus ascended into heaven.  He left . . . but He left with a promise that He would return.  This hope is reflected in the color BLUE.  The paradoxical truth is that He is still with us, but beyond the capabilities of our senses to comprehend Him.  Though we live with sorrow, pain and striving, we look forward to the Day when Christ returns.  On that day evil will be forever banished from the presence of God's children.  On that Day death will be impotent as the dead arise from their graves.  And on that Day we will see Jesus face-to-face.  WHY did the Son of God have to be born?  So that after He had completed His redemptive work, He could return to bring us to Himself.

   To quote Linus, "that's what Christmas is all about."  May the Double Contemplation of Advent - repentance and hope - increase your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.  And may the angelic chorus be made true through YOU; "Glory to God in the highest!"
  

Cultivating an Attitude of Thankfulness

   WARNING: The following is a personal observation that includes actual historical facts.  While many consider History to be hazardous to their GPA, the Surgeon General has denied any dangerous side effects to using history . . . apart from our tendency to repeat it over and over and over again!

   It seems to me that we are an ungrateful nation.  We expect, demand and whine - seeking others to serve us, while seemingly never asking the question, "What can I do to help the situation?"  Being an amateur historian, I state without hesitation that the United States of America is the most blessed and fortunate nation in history.  While other empires may have covered more geography, the influence of the U.S. is truly global in nature.  While other large armies have roamed the earth, no nation has ever had the reach, scope and power of the Armed Forces of the United States.  In their time, other nations have prospered - but they pale in comparison to the American riches, as our agricultural and natural resources are unrivaled.  

   I'm NOT alone in this observation.  President Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, issued a Proclamation calling for a national day of humiliation, fasting and prayer.  Written in the heart of the Civil War, Lincoln's words, strike home today:

    We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!  http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/fast.htm

     I believe ungratefulness flourishes in a heart where forgetfulness and a lack of humility have taken root.  And I point this accusing finger first at myself!  I take for granted that the air I breathe is a perfect mixture (78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and just the right smidgens of other misc. gases).  My refrigerator is full and I pat myself on the back for having remembered to buy milk.  But I am often ungrateful and often forget that it is the Lord Who has done all this for me.  

   There were once 10 men battling leprosy - living outside their city, forsaken by many of their family and friends.  Their hope of a normal life was gone and their future was bleak.  Then they saw a great sight, Jesus was walking on the road near where they stood.  They had heard about this Rabbi from Nazareth - He spoke and taught as One Who had authority, but better than that, He healed diseases!  And so they cried out "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"  Jesus told them to go into the city and show the priests their skin.  As they walked, they were cleansed from their leprosy! (Luke 17)  Hope, family and life were restored!  How did they react?  Only ONE returned to Jesus to give Him thanks!  ONE.

   I urge you to strive to escape the nine and be the one.  Humble yourself before the Lord, confess your weaknesses, and remember the blessings that surround you on a daily basis.  That's how we cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving. 

   Only 7 months after he issued his call for a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer, Lincoln issued another Presidential Proclamation.  In this one he called for the establishment of a national day of Thanksgiving.  May the Lord grant you a blessed Thanksgiving as you raise your praise to Him with a grateful heart.  To God alone be the glory!